Page 56 - Summer_2019

ArchDC Summer 2019.qxp_Spring 2019 5/22/19 3:01 PM Page 54

One corner of the brick tower at the western
edge of the site angles inward to make way
for a simple cross.

to the sanctuary). Second-floor perimeter spaces include the Wooden slats that define the sanctuary’s sloped ceiling
sacristy on one side of the sanctuary, an overflow room on plane are held in place by a concealed suspension system.
the other side, two more classrooms, and the church’s Made from Nordic beech, they help control the room’s
library, which is named for the late Supreme Court justice acoustics. The sanctuary’s flooring is made from the same
Thurgood Marshall, a longtime member of the congregation. wood. The altar area is a simple platform that rises just one
The finishes in most of the building’s interior spaces are neat step above the floor plane—enough to define the zone
and economical, a strategy that helped husband resources while maintaining a close connection between celebrants
for the building’s most important space, the sanctuary. and congregants. “The detailing and materials,” the firm
And what a space the sanctuary is. In many churches, said, “draw inspiration from the traditional craftsmanship
as congregants listen to sermons about the values they and religious symbolism of shipbuilding while also tying
should take out into the world, they are cut off visually from the building to its waterfront location.”
that world. In the sanctuary at St. Augustine’s, in contrast, Coffered segments on the sanctuary’s side walls add
the surrounding city is continuously on view. “Churches in further acoustic control and also “create a datum”—a visual
urban settings,” MTFA said, “are becoming less closed off, reference line—“that lowers the sense of scale and creates a
and sanctuaries that were once secluded and are now open feeling of intimacy within the volume of the space,” the firm
and connected.” said. A secondary glass wall on one side of the sanctuary

54 A CHURCH LEANS IN TO THE CITY